"We conceded two goals, but didn't concede many other chances at all. I thought we had a lot more possession but they stood firm and we couldn't score."

"Everyone tried very hard and the mood is very low. It is hard to know what to say."

Defender Phil Jagielka said: "It is gutting. We played so well in spells but things didn't go our way. Steve Gerrard flicked the ball on, Suarez was onside and you hope he mis-hits one but he finds the target and he wins the game.

"It is a similar story to Italy, we played pretty well but not good enough."

Thousands of England fans had travelled to the Corinithians Arena confident of erasing the memories of last weekend's defeat to Italy.

SAME OLD STORY: It was another night of deja vu for Three Lions supporters [REUTERS]

DREAMS: It was another devastating night for England fans across the globe [AP]

GET IN: Joe Hart reacts to Rooney's equaliser [PA]

LOYAL: Coleen Rooney watches on from the stands with her two children [HUMPHREY NEMAR]

But now they know that if Italy and Costa Rica draw on Friday England will be out of the summer football fest after just six days.

That would leave both Group D rivals on four points – with England only capable of a maximum of three if they beat Costa Rica in what would be a meaningless dead rubber on Tuesday.

Football chiefs fear the duo may play out a dull draw to send England packing.

It would be the first time the nation has slumped out of a World Cup finals at the group stage in 56 years, will cost the UK economy £400m in lost football-related spending and plunge Hodgson’s future as manager into doubt.

Gutted with the score, but so pleased @WayneRooney scored and his boys were here to see it!!

Astonishingly Roys’ boys could still sneak through if Italy beat Costa Rica.

A big England win over Costa Rica in the final group game in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday could then see them creep through with just three points.

But defeat left 10,000 England fans who made the 5,000-mile trek to the Arena Corinthians in Sao Paulo heartbroken.

Another 24m TV viewers back home – half England’s population aged over nine – were devastated as Hodgson’s young attacking side were on the brink of elimination just 24 hours after champions Spain’s shock exit.

Both WAGs had jetted out at the last minute in a bid to boost support for the England team whose fans – 5,000 of whom were thought to have bought black market tickets - were outnumbered three-to-one by 30,000 jubilant Uruguayans.

Adam Lallana’s sister Natalie and mum Sharon plus Luke Shaw’s mother Joanne were also in the crowd to experience the heartache.

SUPPORT: These fans had headed to Sao Paulo in high spirits [NEMAR]

Prior to kick-off it emerged 15 Brazilian hooligans had been arrested after England fans were attacked at a downtown Sao Paulo bar.

Hooded thugs armed with knives and petrol bombs targeted the visiting England fans – 10 of whom were sent to hospital for treatment.

The snack bar owner Reginaldo Pereira, describing the scenes of panic, said:” Everyone ran, the place was left empty.”

An England fan, who travelled to Brazil from his home in northern Ireland, complained to a local journalist police had done nothing to prevent the attack.

He added: “They piled into a bus to try to escape and the police went after them.

“I’m from northern Ireland and they have bombs there as well so I wasn’t afraid.”